Located in San Diego, Calif., the Montgomery Middle School makes use of glacier white and burnished warm gray concrete masonry units (CMUs) that contribute to an attractive scale and texture on the two-story school building. The CMUs provide an architectural surface that was left exposed wherever possible, saving money on costly finishes while providing excellent thermal mass and durability that contributes significantly to the building’s net-zero energy design.

This use of concrete masonry units is very simple, sustainable and striking. The school won LEED Platinum Certification, as well as an Honor Award for Education Design from the Concrete Masonry Association of California and Nevada.

Watershed Materials, a sustainable masonry products manufacturer, has been awarded a $740,000 Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation to develop and commercialize structural masonry blocks with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.